Inclement Weather Information

If you have questions, please call PPS Transportation Services at 503-916-6901.

Delays and closures
The district has two options in the event of bad weather: Delay school openings for two hours or close the schools altogether. Before deciding which to do, district officials consult with local meteorologists, city transportation officials and PPS transportation staff in the field.

School delay and closure information is relayed in a variety of ways:

• Starting in the 2015-2016 school year, PPS will send text alerts to families, students and PPS staff who have opted in to receive SMS text alerts on their cell phones. If you are a parent or guardian, a student or a PPS staff member, you can opt in to receive texts by texting YES to 68453. You can read more about texting and the district's "Mobile First" initiative.
• An automated phone call is sent to affected families.
• The district has a Twitter feed to relay closure, delay and emergency information.  You may create an account at www.twitter.com. Follow @PPSConnect. 
• Information also is posted on the PPS website, submitted to the media, and posted on the PPS Facebook page.
• Snow routes and alternative stops will be called for AM or PM or both depending upon the road conditions or weather forecast. Please pay close attention to additional District announcements throughout the day for changes. District decisions made after the initial call with be updated to the same media outlets.

Individual school decisions
The district may close or delay schools at higher elevations while keeping schools at lower elevations open. For example, Skyline, West Sylvan and Forest Park might open two hours late with all other schools opening on time.

Makeup days
The Board of Education has built into the calendar up to three replacement days in the event of school closures.

The 2020-21 school year in Portland Public Schools will start on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and end on Friday, June 11 (if weather allows). The calendar for next school year was approved by the Board of Education at its meeting on Tuesday.

Anyone familiar with close-in Southeast Portland knows the train crossing at SE 11^th Avenue, near Division Street. A group of students from Winterhaven K-8 School tackled the traffic issues caused by stopped freight trains there, turning it into a project that earned an award at a state LEGO championship.

Graduation rates in Portland Public Schools rose to 80.5% for the 2018-19 school year, reaching the district's highest percentage since the state of Oregon adopted a four-year cohort model in 2010.

In this week's PPS Pulse: 7 from PPS honored at Dr. Martin Luther King tribute event; girls wrestling continues to grow in PIL and state